Miranda Herald Excerpts
The Miranda Herald has a number of articles of relevance that are posted periodically. Prisma Saint Croix will post them here as needed. An Interview With Wardog Squad April 13th - 2015 Soldiers of the CFA are a common sight in and around the Mirandian capital, even in this post-war age. With threats from militants and terrorists being an issue, and Mirandian forces understaffed due to the Paramisian War, a large number of Raxian, Sigilian, Mercenary, and even De Midian troops can be found operating in Mirandian territory, albeit in limited numbers, in the region. One of these units, assigned to shore up the Mirandian capital and specifically defend Raxian interests in the region, is the 514th Infantry Squad - also known as Wardog Squad. Formerly a penal unit, this small unit, consisting of about sixteen soldiers, has served with distinction throughout the Paramisian War, and it has gone on to be one of the more visible - and unusual - squads in the Mirandian region. This unit is no less unique due to its commander, one Red Stokes, who happens to be an R-Series genetic construct. Red's ongoing service does a great job of reminding people that irrespective of origin, anyone who puts themselves to it can rise to exemplary service. Mr. Stokes was kind enough to share his story with me, which is a fascinating tale of personal exploration and introspection. From Humble Beginnings Red's reports were fascinating. Originally, the 514th was a very different unit, which went by the title of The Mad Dogs. It was a Raxian unit normally reserved for units that had been flagged as severe risks - attempted deserters, possible war criminals, and occasionally units that had been flagged for insubordination. Assigned to the watchful eyes of a Commissar - in this case, one Naisha Grant - the squad, at the time, was about the closest Raxis would get to a Penal Unit - the infamous units fielded by Valendia during the Ekris War consisting of individuals otherwise bound for the firing squad. Red himself had been assigned to Naisha's unit to drill discipline into him, and according to Red, this was necesary both due to his relative youth and difficulty with the chain of command. Red elaborated that through extremely harsh but ultimately successful disciplinary training, Red became much more focused. Red compared his own training under Naisha as a critical learning experience. His record is self-evident - in spite of a history of system-bucking, Red has proven a capable leader. Red was awarded the Ruby Sigil - a Raxian medal for wounds suffered in combat that are mostly awarded posthumously - for valorous actions during Operation Fulcrum. In spite of this, he operates humbly. Red turned down a promotion to a Platoon leader because he felt he hadn't earned it. In many ways, Red's "pack hunter" mentality - coming from him being a genetic construct, is akin to having a military mindset by default, and quickly proved valuable for his unit. Initially, there was worries that Red's feral tendencies could prove a liability, but this quickly gave rise to the various assets brought about by Red's unique instinctive behavior - Red, by default, respected the chain of command, and his training under Naisha was critical to let him know who the leader of the pack (his unit) was for the good of everyone in it. In the absence of a leader, Red said, instinct was to take the job himself, because somebody had to. Red also cited Lord Jaimas of Raxis and Lady Serund of Miranda as personal inspirations, saying that he learned valuable lessons from both in how to handle himself both on and off the battlefield, and he mused that the former was indirectly responsible for helping his relationship to Monique, his current wife and squad adjutant. When Naisha had to be reassigned during the war, Red petitioned to be promoted to maintain the squad at full strength. After undergoing brutal training at Raxis' Fort Baxter, Red was promoted after a bold holding action against Natural Selection that ensured the survival of an allied unit. He was quickly appointed to head up the Mad Dogs, where he gained a reputation as a skilled squad leader - all the more so because Red had not had to execute or suspend a single squad member from when he was appointed. One of the more interesting doctrines espoused by Red was that there was no pre-set battle dress beyond using Raxian armor and equipment - everyone in the unit is free to use any gear they prefer to. A Unit Reforged After the war, the Mad Dogs truly came into their own. It was at this point that Wardog Squad got its current name, though Red informs me he preferred the previous title. At this juncture, Red began to get a steady influx of talent and the 514th ceased to be considered a punishment unit. Whilst still rough around the edges and with a rather disorganized tactical doctrine, the 514th began to show real promise, racking up major achievements in conflicts against militant groups around Miranda and helping provide security at multiple major events. Of special note was their skill in search-and-rescue operations, Red explains that a lot of the 514th's most important work was internal - a lot of the squad has a host of their own problems, and the squad members originally assigned to it when it was a disciplinary unit, or because of other problems, such as is the case for Corporal Adriette Peri. In fact, as of this writing, the only units not currently from such a posting or pre-dating the 514th's current mission statement are Corporal Monique Baharavia (who is also Red's wife), Private Zoe Van Burace, and Private Hevessy. Many of his squad are recovering from various psychological issues; Corporal Gifford is known to be recovering from PTSD, for example. According to Red, triumphing over such occurrences is his squad's raison d'etre, and he takes great pride in his troops' ability to overcome their own internal adversity. Red's unit is held in unusual regard by other Raxian units I've interviewed. Several squads put the 514th down as washouts not worthy to be in a proper unit, but many Raxian veteran squads and at least one Mirandian squad I interviewed had considerable praise for them. The 411th, a Raxian Royal Guard unit that protects Queen Aurelis, had several members who insisted that the 514th had saved their lives. Similar was reported by an MOM pilot, one William Cornelius Rhodes, who explained that the 514th's work, as the Mad Dogs, had helped ensure the success of several operations undertaken by the PMC. Conclusions What is there to learn from this "Misfit Unit" in the Mirandian Capital? Quite a lot, actually. Whilst many of the members of it were assigned to it as punishment, the squad has gone on to become surprisingly decorated, even with its relatively unpleasant origins. It's one unit that despite an unorthodox configuration, we'd all do well to feel safer about the presence of in the capital.